A new development in AR for online communication, the Animoji uses facial-mapping software to allow users to control a customised avatar of a human, animal or ghost’s face on their iPhone X. But is this just another frivolous fad or does the popularity of animated avatars signal their important social role in online interaction?

Emojis have become ubiquitous in digital communications, but their use in marketing campaigns hasn’t always been successful. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Sara Kim, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, to learn how people interpret and react to brands that use these symbols.

With 51% of Britons unable to name a favourite brand, people’s connections to the products they buy are seemingly changing. Canvas8 spoke to Pankaj Aggarwal, professor of marketing at the University of Toronto, to learn how different types of brand relationships impact consumer behaviour.

What’s driving people towards private messaging apps? How should brands communicate in a polarised cultural climate? Are bots on the verge of mainstream acceptance? In this part of the 2019 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about what’s changing in the way people interact globally.